Adding Substance To Style

Once Considered A Flake In Colorful Clothing, Jesper Parnevik Has Refined His Golf Game To A Major Level.

May 17, 2000|By Hunki Yun of The Sentinel Staff

First of all, there is the cap with the upturned brim, so he can get a tan.

Then there are his clothes. Not only do they come in glow-in-the-dark colors and retro styles, he wears them one size too small.

Or what about the volcano dust he used to ingest to cleanse his insides? And he named his third daughter Pebble Peach Philippa after his favorite course, although she generally goes by Philippa.

He is an accomplished magician. His skills as a bridge player have been documented in The New York Times. His father is a famous comedian in Sweden.

Although not quite Jean Van de Velde, he lost the 1994 British Open because of general cluelessness. Then, as with the Frenchman, he made light of his own failing in a TV commercial.

When life was handing out eccentricities, Parnevik apparently went back for seconds. And thirds, fourths and fifths.

When people look at Parnevik, 35, they see a skinny, likeable comic book-like figure, and he's promptly dismissed as a world-class flake. What they miss is how good Parnevik, a native of Sweden who now lives in Jupiter, has become -- a world-class player whose game is as loud as his wardrobe.

"I never had a year like this before," Parnevik said. "I started the year playing unbelievably well."

It has continued. Wearing a white shirt with hard collars and tight pink trousers, Parnevik won last weekend's GTE Byron Nelson Classic in a dramatic playoff over Davis Love III and Phil Mickelson.

It was his second victory of the year. Parnevik, who also won the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, has joined Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Hal Sutton as multiple winners this year.

That's some pretty good company, and his name belongs there.

The Nelson wasn't just any win. It came in an event with the best field since The Masters. The next step is a victory in a major, and Parnevik's confidence going into the U.S Open -- which will be played at Pebble Beach in California -- is as high as it has been.

"I'm looking forward to Pebble," he said. "I think it's going to suit my game more than any other U.S. Open-type golf course. You're going to see a little bit of running-type conditions, and that's the type of golf I like."

Parnevik's performance this year certainly makes his decision to leave Europe six years ago look good.

A rising star on the European Tour at the time, Parnevik made a major career move, entering the PGA Tour's Qualifying School in 1993. But the decision wasn't made lightly, as one might expect from him. It was a calculated move.

"It was more a decision that I just felt I had to make to reach the next level," Parnevik said. "In Europe, you're comfortable every week, you know where you go, you know the courses you're playing. I thought it was too easy to get too comfortable finishing 20th on the money list over there."

It almost paid off immediately. Parnevik had a chance to win the 1994 British Open, but his failure to look at the leaderboard down the stretch cost him the title. On the final hole, he thought he needed a birdie to tie Nick Price; the two actually were tied. Parnevik played too aggressively and made a bogey.

For many, that performance cemented Parnevik's reputation as a flake.

Parnevik is a serious player now, and his defining moment may have been last year's Ryder Cup, where he teamed with Sergio Garcia to win 31/2 points and nearly led the Europeans to an upset over the heavily favored American side.

A new chapter may be beginning for Parnevik, but that doesn't mean he is rid of his past.

"I'm pretty stuck with the old stuff, I think," he said. "But the more I win, I guess you might say I'm a great player as well."